Substance Abuse

[neverdie]

Yesterday I was reading another thread (I can't remember which one) and one of the posters in there was talking about expats and substance abuse and the first thing he mentioned was Coffee.

Coffee is one of my passions and quite often when I'm out an about if I spot a new coffee shop I will pop in and give it a try. I also have a few favourite Coffee shops around the place but I don't drink anywhere as near as much Coffee as I did back in my home country where I had my own expresso machine and an endless supply of lovely coffee beans.

So, that got me to thinking, am I abusing Coffee, how much is too much? I normally now limit myself to 1 coffee per day and some days I don't have one. Also I have found that sometimes when I get a headache, if I have a Coffee the headache can dissipate.

[Thaddeus]

I hear ya' ND.

Back in my working days I had coffee on an intravenous drip, couldn't function without the stuff. Now I limit myself to 3 or 4 cups a day, but I still think that is too much, oh and one cup of tea with lunch.

[gotlost]

Ah yes Coffee and Bailey's. I limit myself to 3 each morning.

[spud1]

If it;s only coffee you think your abusing I wouldn't worry,although sometimes if I drink to much it has me shaking like a shitting dog or then perhaps that could have been the bottle of whiskey the night before.

[neverdie]

I'm not sure how much is good or bad for you and of course theres probably different things that need to be considered for each person.

I think one of the biggest dangers here with coffee is if taking it iced, the thais seem to add alot of sugar, sometimes I foget to ask for it to be made with less sugar and its like - YIKES

[Jingthing]

Sure it can be abused. Milk can be abused.

[neverdie]

Sure it can be abused. Milk can be abused.

Okay, very good, can you elaborate, at what point do you think its being abused? Slowly I will extract the information from you old fellow.

[Jingthing]

If you get caffeine withdrawal headaches if you miss your coffee, you are physically addicted to caffeine. I do also and currently limit myself to one large strong cup of coffee in the morning and green tea later in the day. Being physically addicted to coffee in this way is not a health problem for most people. In the past I have abused coffee, 10 plus cups a day, day and night, and experienced extreme symptoms of caffeine overdose. That is abuse.

[neverdie]

^ Interesting JT. I use to drink alot of coffee, similar amounts to you, but at the time didnt think twice about it. At the most exteeme I will take 2 cups in one day, these days & now Im wondering about its effects.

I was always of the belief that small amounts of Caffeine was good for the body. Its most certainly bad for the teeth. :jap:

[Patsycat]

I've just finished my third coffee. I drink about 6 a day, but never after 9 pm.

I love coffee and can't remember the last time I had a cup of tea.

I tried the one a day coffee. Had a really strong one in the morning but found around 4pm I was actually craving it. So gave up on that malarky!!

[Jingthing]

I've just finished my third coffee. I drink about 6 a day, but never after 9 pm.

I love coffee and can't remember the last time I had a cup of tea.

I tried the one a day coffee. Had a really strong one in the morning but found around 4pm I was actually craving it. So gave up on that malarky!!

Yeah I understand completely as I used to be that way. If you ever want to cut down, you could try what I do, green tea later in the day. It also has caffeine so you might not withdrawal much, and it's supposed to be really good for health.

[Thaddeus]

If you ever want to cut down, you could try what I do, green tea later in the day. It also has caffeine so you might not withdrawal much, and it's supposed to be really good for health.

But unfortunately JT, green tea to me tastes bloody awful, if I have had (what I perceive to be) my coffee allowance, I'll drink water or milk.... but I'd still rather have a coffee.

[FBN]

^ Interesting JT. I use to drink alot of coffee, similar amounts to you, but at the time didnt think twice about it. At the most exteeme I will take 2 cups in one day, these days & now Im wondering about its effects.

I was always of the belief that small amounts of Caffeine was good for the body. Its most certainly bad for the teeth. :jap:

Caffeine dose per day of about 400mg is proven to have beneficial health effects; Give that one cup of filter coffee contains about 100mg, about 4 cups a day should keep the doctor away... This is pure coffee, no milk and no sugar..

[Daewoo]

My biggest problem is finding decent coffee in Thailand...

I usually have two large cups as day, sometimes 3... I am by no means a coffee snob or officianado, but I do like good coffee...

I wouldn't go to a Thai restaurant run by Italians, and for the same reason, I find that coffee made by Asians is typically crap... don't know how they do it, it is a pretty simple process...

Add to that the fact that most coffee in Thailand is tailored to American (lack of) tastes, and I have a real problem...

Add to that the fact that in Thailand, I usually party too hard, and sleep too little, and really need coffee to keep me going until beer o'clock, and I am in a but of a pickle...

Daewoo

[Bagwan]

I drink about 10 large mug fulls of coffee each day and have done so for years. A few years back I developed what appeared to be nappy rash and was staining my underpants. One of Thailand's super incompetent junior doctors, after being assured that I was not into anal sex of any description, diagnosed it as a yeast infection. I called into question his mental facilities and left. 

It took me about 10 minutes work with Google to discover what was the cause of my discomfort. After eliminating saccharin and then milk without any relief, I found that an excess of coffee was the cause. Three days 'off the coffee wagon' solved the problem. Recently I experienced regular acid reflux and I was sucking antacids tablets three or four times per day.  It may have been a coincidence but drinking a lot more water instead of coffee as part of a new diet regime made that go away. 

It amuses me that Thais will caution me about drinking coffee but they think nothing of downing Lipo or Red Bull. My  version of common sense tells me that if I am tired my body is telling me to go to sleep and that turning on an internal turbo by quaffing theses so called energy drinks is not a good idea.  

[syd barrett]

Coffee is definitely addictive.

I recall once going 6 months without a single cup, then after restarting being 'hooked' after just a few cups.

Caffeine is an ingredient mixed-in with some analgesics (paracetamol & asperin) because it works in conjunction as a remedy for headache.

[meom]

^ Interesting JT. I use to drink alot of coffee, similar amounts to you, but at the time didnt think twice about it. At the most exteeme I will take 2 cups in one day, these days & now Im wondering about its effects.

I was always of the belief that small amounts of Caffeine was good for the body. Its most certainly bad for the teeth. :jap:

Why is it bad for the teeth? I'm on about 10-15 cups a day (plain nescafe without milk or sugar)for the last 16 years or so and it don't really affect me except that it makes the ciggies taste better. My teeth are a bit stained but other than that they're perfect without any fillings.

[Drag0nboy]

I have been drinking it now for over 20 years at an average of 10 - 20 cups per day, I have cut down dramatically since leaving the UK for sunnier climes but I will still have about 10 cups... normally one just before I go to sleep. Never had an issue with snoozing off after a nice cup of coffee and dont get as many headaches as when I try to be healthy and come off the caffine.

If you like it drink it - why make yourself suffer by drinking a substitute.... Chicory for examply or Green Tea!! Yeach

Lifes too short enjoy it, anyway if you want a good coffee go down to Chalong Pier road on and get one there, free wif fi as well as low cost high taste coffees!

[tim armstrong]

Coffee (caffeine) is addictive like any other drug. 3-4 cups per day is indeed the limit. Excess caffeine use whether pepsi,coca cola,chocolate,or coffee can lead to dependency and addiction. If you are not sleeping well, have headaches, wakeup feeling irritable, have mood swings, feel tired just after eating,cannot concentrate,have memory problems,have increased appetite for no good reason,or have stomach pains, - coffee may be implicated. If you know you drink too much coffee, substitute a glass of water for every second cup,until you are down to a respectable level.

I used to manage an acute health facility, where we needed to have team meetings about 5X a day -usually with a coffee. Together with mealtimes we were drinking about 8-10 coffees each - just at work. Eventually we worked out that our slight irritability with each other was not due to the work, but rather the coffee,and chocolate and smoking. Try Ranong green tea - a good substitute.